Dragonheart
by LorellaiLaLa
Summary: A young woman raised by a dragon finds herself in a world of humans.
1. Chapter 1

Kara straightened up, gazing at the giant moon high above the mountains. She stood on a cliff, her arms spread wide. She could feel the shining of the moon, slowly seeping through her skin, overflowing her body. Once she felt as if her veins were full of moonlight, as if she was silver and shining inside, she returned into the cave. She returned to Daraine.

* * *

Kara was an adorable and lively child, restless as a squirrel. Long wavy red hair framed her light brown face, her big blue-green eyes like two deep pools staring at you. A long time ago, when she was merely three years old, her parents had been attacked by the Death Eaters. Her father fell right away, while her mother escaped from the small village of Knife's Edge into the mountains surrounding the area. She was captured and killed shortly after, but when the Dark Lord's minions rose their wands against the toddler, a big golden-horned dragon swooped down and grabbed her, taking her away. It took little Kara back to its cave, and that's where the girl has lived ever since.

Wizards study dragons and although they believe that there's little to be revealed about them, each new study shows something new. As such, Kara found out something almost no one else knew – dragons can communicate.

At first, the dragon left the toddler all alone, only making sure to feed her with food stolen from nearby villages, so Kara talked to herself all the time, but then one day she tripped and fell and burst into tears. The dragon left her alone, not knowing how to calm the human child, but the girl refused to stop and finally, when the dragon was tired of hearing the sobbing, it gently pushed its giant snout to her tiny hand and the girl could hear a voice in her head:

 _Calm down, human child. You are safe here._ The sound surprised her and she stopped crying, and the dragon, satisfied, rolled up on the side, watching the child with golden eyes.

Throughout the years that followed Kara stopped talking and only communicated with the dragon through the mental touch. She came to love the dragon as a parent. The dark green giant was a she, and she had a name - Daraine. She was incredibly gentle with Kara, playing with her and taking her for long rides on her back, and Kara grew up in the solitary company of the dragon and the mountains.

* * *

After years together, their mental bond strengthened and one day Kara could hear Daraine calling to her mentally without direct contact.

 _Kara!_ she cried, her mental voice full of concern and worry. The girl ran out onto the cliff in front of their cave and saw the dragon right away. She was flying towards her top speed and Kara moved away in the last moment, afraid the giant would push her off the edge. The green dragon landed in the cave.

 _What happened?_ asked Kara, gently caressing the green scales, calming the dragon.

 _People are coming, the dragon breeders,_ replied Daraine, looking at her. _You need to hide, you cannot be found, Kara. I'll protect the entrance. Stay back._ Kara nodded and moved to the back of the cave where her bedding lay. She could see the sky through the entrance, partially covered by the large shape of her dragon. She stood there, listening to what was happening.

"There she is!" someone cried out all of a sudden, his voice sounding as if it was coming from the bottom of the valley. It was strange, it was tugging on some memories Kara didn't know she had. She wasn't deaf, she heard the noises before, but never before she imagined the words she always heard in her head being put into sound this way. The voice was deep, and she though it must be male, but was unsure. She herself didn't make much sound and had never heard a person talk before, so she had nothing to compare this too. "She's preparing to attack!" someone else shut the man up.

"Of course not, you idiot, can't you tell she's protecting that cave? She'll stay right there until the threat passes. As soon as we're gone, she'll return to the cave or fly away again." The voice was calm, controlled. Kara was intrigued. She has not seen a human being for thirteen years, ever since she was a little girl, and she didn't have memories of people. She slowly crept towards the entrance, making sure to remain hidden behind Daraine. She leaned onto the dragon and could feel the giantess' thoughts.

 _Kara! Get back! They can't see you, they must not see you!_ There was a strange urge, strange need in her voice and Kara crouched down. _Do not worry, Daraine, they will not see me._ But the dragon was nervous, she shuffled on the stone shelf, spreading her wings slightly.

Six men stood at the bottom of the valley. One of them, very obviously their leader, stood a few paces in front of the others. His hair was bright red. Daraine turned her head slightly at Kara.

 _Get back, child. You cannot be seen! There's more to you than you understand!_ The girl didn't listen, however, she was entranced by seeing the first humans in such a long time.

The red-headed man got their attention when he spoke loudly, this time to the dragon.

"Dragon! We are here to ask you to come with us. This place has become a trade route and we would ask you to come to the reservation we have created for your kind." Daraine stared at him, unmoving.

 _Perhaps you should go with them,_ Kara said to the dragon. There was still silence from the creature. _Daraine?_ Kara asked carefully.

The dragon had suddenly turned and pushed Kara into the cave, following her.

 _Kara._ There was deep sadness in the voice of the giant. _I see now that there are forces at work that are beyond you or me._ Kara swallowed, hard. Daraine has never spoken to her like that before, and she knew something was about to happen. _You have spent all your life with me, child, and dragons are magical creatures. You are a witch, yet you have never used your powers before, even though the magic within you should appear as you age. I believe you are not completely human_ _any more_ _, not as human as those men in the valley are, at least. You have been soaking up the magic of a dragon, combining it with your own. Do not ask me what you are, for I don't know, nor do I understand, but I realize one thing now. You need company of humans. You need company of those who will help you understand it. This is a rare opportunity for you, my child._ Kara had tears in her eyes.

 _No, Daraine, I can't leave you!_ she cried out mentally. _You are the only one who took care of me, you are like a mother to me!_ But the dragon was unrelenting.

 _I will not discuss this with you. You must leave. You heard the man, this place is not what it used to be, not_ _any more._ _If I am in danger, then imagine how bad it is for you. Do this for me, and I'll go with the man into the reservation where I can be safe and you can visit._

 _But ..._

 _No. There is no other option._ Kara cried out and wrapped her arms around the dragon's neck.

 _I can't leave, I don't want to leave! Please, Daraine! Please, mother!_ And yet the dragon was unmoving.

They were both distracted so the red-haired man climbed into the cave unnoticed, staring at the strange pair. He coughed and Kara jumped, while Daraine turned and growled loudly.

"Who are you?" he whispered to Kara, but she only shook her head. She wasn't sure she still knew how to speak. Daraine looked at the young woman.

 _Go with him. Do it for me. It is too late to keep you hidden now._ Kara relented with tears streaming down her cheeks, but she made no noise. She had a bag that Daraine had brought to her once, into which she now threw her few possessions: another set of clothes, a few of her parents' and her baby things (that Daraine had brought from their old house) and a strange-looking mirror, filled with still water instead of reflective glass. She got used to wearing tight leggings and a simple shirt in the life she led, and she quickly threw an old black coat over those, then looked at the red-haired man.

 _How do I speak to him?_ she asked the dragon. Daraine chuckled.

 _Make sound, of course. You know his language, although we never spoke it. I believe it's again a remnant of dragon magic, or perhaps your own mental power has been_ _strengthened_ _in my presence. You can only try._

Kara looked at the stranger.

"I ..." she said, quietly, testing the voice that has not been used in a very long time, "I have to go with you." The man thought she had a strange accent and the way she pronounced words was slightly off, but he could understand her easily enough.

"Why?" he asked, intrigued.

"Orders." That was all she would tell him about the issue, and although he wanted to, he realized that she wouldn't tell him more. "My name is Kara Guard." He bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"My name is Charles Weasley. You may call me Charlie, though, everyone does." She smiled a bit through the tears and wiped her face.

"We should go. The dragon will go to the reservation with you." He nodded and grabbed her bag.

"Let's go, then!" He looked at Daraine. "Follow us, we'll make sure that no one sees you." The dragon suddenly bowed her head low, touching her nose to Charlie's forehead and his face changed to shock. When she moved her head away, he looked at Kara again.

"Seems like I'll have to take you some place else, strange lady. Come, let's go. We can go with the team for at least part of the way before we need to part." Kara nodded and followed him slowly down the slope. Daraine flew above them, circling slowly.

The rest of Charlie's team were surprised when they noticed Kara, but she paid them little attention. She was uneasy in the presence of people, she was not used to it yet, so she stayed a bit behind them, following them at their pace. Charlie was giving them their orders, making sure they understood that the dragon was not to be harmed, contained, and was to be one of those rare dragons who were trusted to return, therefore Daraine wasn't to be contained, but merely given a place to live.

After a bit, they separated, Daraine following the five men and Charlie taking Kara with him.

"Where are we going?" Kara asked quietly, catching up with him.

"You've been alone for a very long time," Charlie replied, "and she asked me to take you some place safe where you can learn how to be a human." They noticed first few houses of a small town. "The school I went to ... I have a mind of sending you there. The headmaster is kind and powerful and he could help you catch up with your peers, I'm sure, and all the other teachers could help as well. Would you be alright with that, Kara?" He stopped and looked at her and she stared back into his bright blue eyes. She noticed that he wasn't tanned, but his face and neck were covered with so many freckles that it appeared as if he was. She couldn't judge his age, so she assumed he was older than her.

"If you think that is the best thing to do, then I'll go," she smiled at him, and he noticed that she was a strange looking girl, not ugly but also not classically beautiful. He nodded at her.

"I'm hoping it's the best for you," he told her quietly, "there's been many things happening in the past few years and I'm only in Romania for a short time, I need to return to England soon." She nodded quickly and they went on into the town.

They arrived to a normal looking house and he knocked on the doors. The man who opened was so old he looked ancient, staring suspiciously at them, but when he saw the young Weasley, he smiled broadly.

"Ah, young Charlie! Welcome! What brings you here?" Charlie and Kara entered the house and she looked around curiously while the man spoke.

"I need to get home right away. Something happened and, well, this is Kara. I need to get her to my mother as soon as possible." The old man nodded and looked at her strangely, like he was measuring her.

"She does seem a bit strange indeed. Well, let's get you both on your way then." He handed Charlie a pot with strange emerald powder.

"Kara, this is going to sound strange, but grab a handful, toss it into the flames, then walk straight into them and say, loud and clear, the Burrow. It's going to take you to my home." He was right, it did sound strange, but she had been living with a dragon for full thirteen years. So she did what she was told, and walked straight into the emerald flames.


	2. Chapter 2

Kara was spinning, and kept on spinning, until suddenly she stopped. She tumbled down from a new fireplace. She looked up and saw she landed in a big open space with a desk and chairs in the middle, then pulled herself up, remembering that Charlie would be right behind her and not wanting him tumbling into her with her bag. She dusted her clothing and straightened up, but before she could have a proper look around, Charlie popped up from the fireplace, grinning at her.

"Welcome to my home, Kara," he said warmly and put her bag on one of the chairs, beckoning her to sit down and going around making her a cup of something while she was looking around. He wasn't talking to her in the meantime, realizing that she needed a moment to settle down after the strange journey she just took.

She looked around. The kitchen looked homey and warm to her eyes, the big table had eight chairs around it, and many strange things were standing around. Kara had absolutely no idea what most of those were for, but she thought they must be some magical things and sat there quietly.

After a few minutes she became restless.

"What are we waiting for?" she asked Charlie and noted that he looked disappointed.

"Well," he started, "it would appear that my family is away at this time. Are you hungry?" She realized that yes, she was. She nodded and he grinned at her. "Mum always leaves something for us kids in case one of us shows up uninvited while she's gone. Let me see ..." In a few minutes, she had a steaming hot bowl of soup in front of her and she sniffed at it.

"This smells delicious," she told Charlie with a smile, "but what exactly is this?" He just stared at her.

"You never had soup before?" She shook her head.

"No, actually. Daraine would take me to places where I'd dig up edible roots and pick herbs and plants that could be eaten raw or cooked with meat that she caught and roasted for me, but I never had anything like this." He sighed. She had a long way to go.

"Well, it's chicken soup. Not sure you know what a chicken is, of course. It's a small bird that can't fly, I'll show you some later, we have a bunch. It's made by boiling different types of veggies with the meat. Try it." He pointed at her spoon and she grabbed it.

"What's that? It looks like a smaller bowl? What's it for, Charlie?" The look of confusion crossed her face as she starred at the utensil. Charlie wanted to laugh, but stopped himself. It would do her no good.

"You eat soup with it." He poured himself a bit of soup and grabbed a spoon to show her. "You dip the spoon into the soup, and then take it to your mouth with it. But be careful, it's really hot, I may have overdone it." She nodded and slowly and carefully ate her soup, like a child who just learned how to do it. After a few mouthfuls, she looked at him surprised.

"This is really good! Your mother must be an amazing cook!" Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, mum is great. I'll make sure to give her your compliments when I see her." Which just so happened to be the moment when he finished his sentence.

Kara dropped her spoon into her soup and gasped loudly as a short and plump woman appeared out of the fireplace. She had the same red hair as Charlie, but her eyes were brown and appeared cross for some reason. Kara wanted to disappear.

"Charles Weasley!" the woman announced loudly when she saw her son, "you disappeared three days ago without letting anyone know where you're going! What were you thinking?!" Charlie smiled a bit sheepishly.

"Look, mum, I'm sorry but I was called to Romania, and it was urgent. There were trouble with a certain dragon ..." His gaze fell on Kara and his mother turned around and stared at her, but her eyes lost the crossness and appeared warmer and kinder.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, dear, I didn't see you there. Who are you, then?" When she smiled, she appeared much nicer than a second before.

"Um. I'm Kara Guard, ma'am," Kara replied quietly and offered a small smile to the woman. She didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah, mum," started Charlie again, "Kara was, sort of, found with the said dragon. She was, if I understood correctly, raised by her. By the dragon, I mean. The dragon was a female." His mother gaped at him for a few moments.

"Raised? By the dragon? But, you know that's not possible, Charlie! Dragons are vicious and dangerous creatures, and they attack people! No dragon would ever let a girl like her live!"

"That's not true." Kara's voice was stronger now, firmer. "Dragons only defend themselves. I think Charlie knows that, too. They're not vicious and dangerous, people are just afraid because they're big and breathe fire." She stood up without realizing it. "Don't say Daraine would hurt me. She did everything to protect me, up to sending me here. There's things that I need to learn that she can't teach me. I think she thought that I need humans around me, not just a lone dragon." Finally she stared at Charlie. It was a cold, hard stare. "Charles Weasley, I hope you stand by your promise that nothing will happen to that dragon." Charlie was amazed. She hadn't heard her speak that much before.

"Well," huffed his mother and stared at the girl, too. After a few moments she composed herself and smiled again. "I believe you, Kara Guard. Now, first of all, call me Molly, is that right? No ma'ams allowed in this house." That made the girl laugh a little bit and she sat back down again, seemingly more relaxed now. "You say you were raised by a dragon called Daraine, if I understood you correctly?" As she nodded, Molly continued: "Well, that must mean there are many things you need to learn! Are you a witch, do you have any idea? And I bet you don't have the wand if you are! And if you aren't, do not fret! We don't discriminate in this household. Now, let's see, did Charlie get you some food? Soup? Great, that'll last you until the dinner. With the kids in school we only have a few people coming over, so I invited Remus and Tonks tonight, too." She continued chattering on while she was preparing the food and Kara glanced at Charlie, who was smiling easily at her.

For the next few hours, Kara would just sit at the table while Molly talked to her, and herself, and only responded to an occasional question. Charlie disappeared somewhere, so Kara had time to think.

She didn't know about this world. It was all so strange. So new. So unlike the cave and the mountains and Daraine. But she knew that the dragon believed in her. That she sent her here because she thought the girl was in danger. Her thoughts kept returning to the dragon and she hoped badly that the giantess was safe. But she knew that she would probably never see Daraine again and she accepted it. She was willing to work hard, as hard as she had to, just to fit into this new world of witches and wizards that seemed to be so accepting of her.

When the sky outside became dark, more people arrived. Firstly a tall young woman with silvery hair, who impressed Kara greatly with her wonderful smile and dark blue eyes, and a man taller than her, with long red hair worn in a ponytail, dressed in dark clothing and, Kara noticed with dismay, boots made of dragon hide. They smiled at Molly (who, Kara noted, looked a bit abashed at their arrival) and were introduced to Kara. They were introduced to her as Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour. Kara was greatly surprised by Fleur's silvery hair, which she didn't know was possible on a human. The woman greeted her kindly, but with the accent different than the rest of the Weasley family had:

"Oh, it is great to meet you! I'm Fleur, I'm with Bill here. You are not a Weasley, although you do look like one, I must say!" Kara laughed with her and Bill smiled kindly.

"Nice to meet you, Kara," he said, shaking her hand. The couple had just settled down when a second couple arrived: a tall, shabby looking man and a younger woman with a pale face and short blonde hair. Before they could be introduced, a pair of red-headed twins popped up, too, and Molly smiled warmly at them. Kara soon learned who they all were - Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks ("Call me Tonks, _please_."), and George and Fred Weasley. They were all greeting her warmly and kindly, just as Molly did, and Kara felt good, warm, happy and safe in their midst. She sat on her assigned chair, looking from one to the other, with a soft smile on her face, but she didn't speak much.

She didn't know that Charlie carefully asked each of them not to ask too many questions as there were special circumstances and she wasn't used to people, so they all kept their curiosity in check and only threw occasional glances in her direction.

Charlie sat by her side, making sure she was comfortable at all times.

Finally, Molly sighed.

"Well, Arthur doesn't seem to be showing up anytime soon, so let's eat dinner." Kara thought she ate like a queen that evening.

Later that evening Kara was talking to Charlie and explaining what she thought about the dinner: "Roast beef was delicious, and it was nothing like what Daraine called roast beef. It was melting in my mouth, Charlie! I never had anything so good! Carrots, those orange bits, were sweet and nutty. I liked that, I could get used to that. The brussel sprouts were a bit strange, not sure I like them, but I never even tried anything similar to that, so I guess I need to eat more of them before I decide. I had potatoes before. Daraine would take me to some places where they grew and I'd grab some and she would roast them for me, but these tasted different than what I had. There was something more to those, I'll need to ask Molly about it. These Yorkshire puddings ... absolutely amazing. I never had ANYTHING like that at all. Ever. I wish there were some left over, I could keep on eating those. And this gravy thing that you poured over my food was good! It felt like it belongs there. I loved this. Do you always eat like this? I was missing out much, wasn't I?" Charlie laughed at her.

"This was just a normal dinner, Kara. Wait til you see the Christmas one!" It was getting late and Charlie was tired, but Kara was so full of energy that he couldn't just leave her alone. Almost everyone left or went to bed, except Charlie and Molly, who sat by Kara and listened to her. Molly was smiling, glad her cooking made the girl so happy, but she did also notice that Charlie was tired, and she knew she needed to get them both into beds.

"Kara," she said gently, "I think you need to rest, don't you?" Kara shrugged. With Daraine, she always slept when she felt tired, and she didn't feel really tired yet. "Well, I thought I'd have you sleep on the sofa tonight, darling," she continued, pointing towards the living room door, "and tomorrow we can figure out where we'll put you. Would that be okay with you?" Kara shrugged.

"I'm used to sleeping on the floor and I have my bedding with me, in the bag, so I can bunk anywhere," Kara told Molly, but the woman shook her head.

"Now! I can't have you sleeping on the floor, young lady!" she exclaimed and looked at Charlie who was half asleep at the table. "Charlie, go to bed already," she told him, "I'll get Kara to bed." When Charlie left, she left Kara to the living room and with a stroke of her wand the sofa stretched out and a few blankets and pillows came flying through the door.

"There you go, your bed for now," she smiled at Kara. The girl frowned.

"Do I sleep in those?" she asked, gesturing at her clothing. "My clothes are a bit dirty after today, and this is all so clean." Molly rose her eyebrows.

"Don't you have a nightgown?" One thing Kara learned in the one day she spent with people was that she is allowed to ask questions, even though they might look at her weird or laugh.

"Um, what is a nightgown?" she asked slowly, but Molly just smiled at her.

"Of course. Let me get you something. You can have a shower while you're at it, come, let me show you where the bathroom is." When she opened the door into the room that was all tiled with white tiles, Kara stopped.

"Molly, I never had a shower before. I don't know how to do this. I'm so sorry, I really don't know. I lived in a cave ..." But Molly was so understanding, so nice, while she explained the uses of the bathroom. Kara was thankful to her and as soon as the motherly woman finished explaining, she gestured to her to go to bed.

"I'll be fine, I promise. I'll take a shower as you showed me, and then put on my nightgown and go to bed. I promise." Molly smiled and patted the girl's cheek affectionately.

"I know you'll be fine. Good night, darling." Kara smiled widely and when woman left, she shut the door to the bathroom and took off her clothes (Molly did mention that you need to be naked in the shower). She opened the water and carefully set it to the temperature that fit her, then jumped in, and realized in a moment what luxury this was. Water felt perfect to her, it was almost like a warm rain, soaking her and washing off the grime and the sweat of the long day. When she was done, she turned the tap off and wrapped herself into a big towel that Molly had prepared for her. It was very soft and she stayed like that for a few minutes, drying herself off, then she pulled on the underwear and the nightgown that Molly had provided for her. She felt strange in the clothing that wasn't hers and she wasn't used to wearing, but she took her own things and dropped them on top of her bag, then went into the living room and went to bed. It was big and soft and she wasn't very comfortable in it, but she tried to fall asleep anyway.

After some time she realized that the sofa was much too soft and she pulled her blankets and pillows onto the floor, where she tossed and turned until she was comfortable enough to fall into a deep slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

Kara woke up the next morning to someone gently nudging her shoulder. She looked up, her hair a tangled mess, and stared into the bright blue eyes of Charlie Weasley.

"Mornin', sleepyhead," he grinned at her. She groaned and pulled a blanket over her head, but he pulled it off again. "Come on, get up, we have a long day ahead of us," he said, grabbing her arms and pulling her up into a sitting position. She stood up on her own and stretched. Charlie handed her a bundle of clothes.

"Mum says you should put these on. Your clothes look a bit worn and she guesses you and my sister are the similar size, so these should fit you." She nodded at him thankfully and went to the bathroom to change. When she came out, she was barefooted, dressed in a pair of jeans and a red jumper. Her hair was falling down her back, just a bit past her waist, and it was still a slight mess - she did only brush it with her fingers, after all. Charlie smiled at her from the kitchen table.

"There, you look almost awake." She sat down, smiling a bit.

"Only almost?" she asked and he flashed her a wide grin. While they ate (toast with butter and jam) he explained to her that everyone except him and his mother has already gone off to work.

"You don't work?" she asked him and he nodded.

"I do, but I'm on vacation, at least officially. I help around here, but I figured I might as well show you around a bit."

"What does 'officially' mean?" That made him think for a moment.

"Well, it means that I have time off work, but I actually don't rest or have a holiday as it's intended for. Instead I help around here." She thought about it and nodded.

"Right, but you say work. You work every day otherwise or what?" Molly popped up.

"Good morning, Kara!" she beamed at her and Kara flashed her a smile back.

"Good morning, Molly," she replied and then looked back at Charlie.

"Well, yes, people need a job for a living. That means we do something to earn money so we can buy things that we need for life, like food and clothing, or pay for school." Kara was listening attentively.

"What's school?" And she kept asking questions. Every answer brought up something new that she didn't know about. Thankfully, Molly and Charlie were happy to provide answers. Charlie found her intriguing and was amazed by how much she didn't know, while Molly was thinking how lonely a life she must've led, all alone with a dragon.

Lunch time came around before soon and they ate together - they had a simple salad with grilled chicken, which were once again foods Kara hadn't tried before. She was delighted.

"Molly!" she cried out after lunch, "you are an absolutely wonderful cook! I have never before eaten anything as good as what you've given me." Molly blushed and Charlie was smiling ear to ear.

"We always tell her that she's good," he laughed, Kara smiling with him. She wasn't much of a laughing person, she would only smile a lot. Once the dishes were put away and Molly had gone off to the garden, Charlie looked at Kara seriously.

"I talked to my father before he left and we figured out that we should try and find out who you are. Wizard children are all recorded magically at birth, so we might be able to find out something about you or request to look through the Romanian wizard records. Dad said to take you to the Ministry after lunch. Do you think you're ready?" Kara shrugged.

"Sure, let's go!" They used the fireplace again, and this time they landed in a long hall with polished dark wooden floor. Kara gasped when she saw a whole lot of people around, some walking purposefully, some milling around in groups and talking to each other. She hunched down a bit and Charlie put a hand on her shoulder firmly, leading her past the fireplaces in the wall towards the end of the hall. She looked around carefully. The hall was really very long and had fireplaces on both sides - some seemed to be intended for people coming and some for those who were leaving. Charlie slowly led her towards a big desk with a strange device on top of it that stood to the side of the large double doors at the end of the hall.

They had to dodge many people and more than a few looked at them very strangely, some raising their eyebrows at Kara, then looking away when they noticed her staring back. But no one said a thing to Charlie.

They arrived to the desk and the man wearing dark green robes looked up from his book.

"You're missing your tags," he told Charlie and grabbed a long golden wand, very thin and flexible. He waved it in front of Charlie, from his chest down to his toes, then down his back as well. When he wanted to do the same to Kara, she slid behind the red-haired man.

"What is he doing?" she whispered. The security guard rose his eyebrows at Charlie, who looked back at Kara and then at the man again.

"She's had a bit of a different upbringing and she isn't used to people. Can you just explain to her what you're doing, please?" Charlie told the man and pushed Kara in front of him. "Kara, he won't hurt you." She nodded, her eyes huge. The security guard rolled his eyes.

"I'm making sure you aren't carrying anything dangerous, girl." She stood stiffly as he waved the wand around her.

"Now, your wands, please," he said when he was done. Charlie handed him his.

"She doesn't have one yet." That shocked the guard more than her hiding from him.

"She's a Muggle?" he gasped. Kara replied this time.

"What's a Muggle?" she asked first, but didn't wait for a reply, "and, well, I grew up with Daraine and I don't think she knew how to raise me as my real mum would."

"A Muggle is someone who can't use magic, Kara," Charlie responded quickly, then looked at the guard. "Look, we're here to find out who she is and figure out what to do about her. She was orphaned as a child and was never sent to school, so she's lacking a lot of information." The man was suspicious of the girl, but in the end her shrugged and let them through, though not before Charlie explained that he's only taking her to his father.

"Why are we going to see your father?" Kara asked when they were in a lift (after an explanation about the lift, of course).

"Dad knows a few people around here, and he promised to find someone who could check the records. Hopefully he did and we'll have some answers about you by now, and you're here just in case they need to ask you any questions." She nodded and then stood quietly while the lift took them to the second level.

"Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services," the female voice in the lift spoke and Charlie tugged Kara to follow him out. Around the corner from the lift they went through a heavy door into a large open area divided into small boxes, as Kara called them, but they passed those and went through another door into another long corridor, with doors on each side. Charlie took her through the second door on the left and they entered a small office with twelve desks, five of which were currently occupied, and a door leading into the small office. Arthur Weasley sat at his desk, reading something. Kara smiled at him.

"Oh, you're here, Charlie. We found something." Kara sat down on a chair he offered her and listened attentively.

"I talked to a colleague from the Registration Department and he took a look through the records for me." He pulled a piece of parchment from under a pile of files. "I told him that Kara is between fourteen and eighteen years old, gave him the description and mentioned that she was found in Romania. Turns out that you have been considered missing for almost fourteen years, Kara." She looked at him wide-eyed.

"Missing? You mean, I have a family?" He could see hope in her eyes.

"Well, your father was fighting against the Dark Lord when you were born, but your mother wasn't a part of the organisation. Their names were Cyrus Sayre and Diana Lupei Sayre. They fled England the year you were born. I assume they wanted to protect you the best way they could. Charlie says he found you close to the town of Horezu, which is where your mother was originally from, which is why I believe I'm correct. However, they didn't inform anyone where they fleeing to, so they were considered missing after the war and were never found, and you were missing with them, of course." Kara sat there quietly.

"So, my name is Kara Sayre?" she finally asked. Arthur smiled at her.

"Your full given name is Kara Selene Sayre. You were born on 17th June 1980, in London. Your parents owned a town-house in Islington, they lived there after their marriage until they left the country. They were both Healers at St. Mungos, but they stopped working when you were born. Sadly, I need to tell you that all your closest relatives are dead, at least on your father's side. My colleague promised that he will request information from Romanians, but he can't promise that he'll be able to find anything." Arthur pulled out a folder, but set it down again and looked at Kara carefully. She sat there staring at the air.

"Kara?" Charlie asked and put a hand on her shoulder.

"So, I'm alone?" she whispered. "I knew my parents died, Daraine told me as much, but ... I have no family?" She wanted to cry. She lost Daraine already, the only family she knew, but she felt as if she had just lost her family all over again.

"Listen to me." Charlie knelt down in front of her, grasping her arms. He felt protective over the young girl he had found, almost as protective as he felt over his own sister. "You have me. You saw my mum, how she took care of you, as if you were her own. She will help you, I will help you and I'm sure everyone in my family will help. You are not alone. I promise you'll always find a friend in me." Kara sniffed and looked down, her hair falling over her face, hiding her.

"Thank you," she mumbled and wiped a tear. When she looked up again, there were strength and determination shining in her gaze. Charlie smiled and got up again. "Well, Mr Weasley, will you tell me what else you have for me? I promise I'll ask questions later." They all laughed at her remark and Charlie's father took up the folder and pulled out more papers.

"It would appear you are the only heir of your parents and as such you have inherited all their possessions. I have the last will of both of them here with me, and I read them. They were found in the records here at the Ministry. They left everything to you, Kara. Would you wish to read them for yourself?" She shook her head.

"I can't read, Mr Weasley, but could you read those for me?" Mr Weasley wasn't as surprised as Charlie at her not knowing how to read. He half expected it upon hearing about her life. So he pulled out two sheets of parchment and read.

" _Last will and testament of Diana Sayre. I, Diana Lupei Sayre, hereby make this Will and revoke all prior Wills and testaments. I was born on 3rd March 1956 in_ _Horezu_ _, Romania. I am married to Cyrus Stephen Sayre. We were married on 31st September 1976 in London, England. I have one living child, Kara Selene Sayre, born on 17th June 1980._ " He stopped for a moment, looking at Kara and making sure she was doing fine. " _I give all my properties to my daughter Kara Selene Sayre. Properties include a half of the Islington town-house, a farm in_ _Horezu_ _and any and all personal items I possess at the time of my death. I, Diana Sayre, hereby sign this Will at London, England, on 20th June 1980._ There's her signature, and the witnesses' signatures, and that's it for your mother." She nodded.

"And my father's?"

" _Last will and testament of Cyrus Sayre. I, Cyrus Stephen Sayre, hereby make this Will and revoke all prior Wills and testaments. I was born on 8th April 1954 in London, England. I am married to Diana Lupei Sayre. We were married on 31st September 1976 in London, England. I have one living child, Kara Selene Sayre, born on 17th_ _June_ _1980\. I give all my properties to my daughter Kara Selene Sayre. Properties include a half of the Islington_ _town-house_ _, Sayre manor in County Donegal in Ireland, all the land belonging to the Sayre manor, the vault at Gringotts including all the items in it, and any and all personal items I possess at the time of my death. I, Cyrus Sayre, hereby sign this Will at London, England, on 20th June 1980._ "

"Is ... is that a lot?" Kara asked the two men. They nodded, incredulous.

"You are rich, Kara," Charlie said.

"What does that mean?" she asked and he started laughing. Arthur smiled at his son and when he calmed down a bit, he looked at the girl again.

"Well, that means you probably won't have to work for a living. You own three houses, one of them being a big manor, and I assume that your father was quite rich, even though I do not recognize the family name." He got up and Kara followed suit. "I took some liberties and made sure that all the documents are in your name – of course everything had been changed magically when your parents died, but no one had bothered to check before I thought of it – and I found out that to enter your Gringotts vault you don't need a key, only some proof of who you are. I'm sure the Gringotts employees will tell you more about that." He smiled at her kindly. "I will need to get back to work. Charlie, I arranged with Minerva and Spinks from Department of primary education to meet with you and Kara and figure out what's the best way to approach her schooling situation. They should be waiting for you in his office." Charlie nodded and Kara followed him as they went back towards the lift, but they passed it and entered another corridor with doors on both sides. This time they walked past all of them and entered the last room on the right.

First one she noticed was a very tall woman in emerald robes. Her black hair webbed with silver was pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head and first thought Kara had was that she would not like to make her angry with herself.

But then she smiled and her expression changed into one of caring.

"Charlie Weasley," she said and shook his hand warmly, "how great to see you again." He smiled back at her and they exchanged pleasantries while Kara looked at the other person in the office, the man sitting at his desk. His brown shaggy hair revealed a round and worried-looking face. His heavy-lidded blue eyes skimmed over Charlie and were looking at her attentively, making Kara fidget nervously.. He had a small moustache and a full mouth, and his body was plump and short. He smiled at her, too, but he didn't radiate warmth the way the woman did.

The woman introduced him to them.

"Charlie, Kara, this is Olaf Spinks and he is the head of the Department of primary magical education. He takes care of children up until their seventeenth year when they leave their school and have to decide what they will do in the future." The man shook their hands, although Kara wasn't sure what that represented - she just did what Charlie did. "I am Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She took Kara's hand in her own and when she smiled at her, there was a twinkle in her eye. "My pleasure to meet you, Kara Sayre." Of course they both already knew who Kara was - they were here for her, after all.

They sat down, with headmistress still standing, and Olaf started to reveal the plans him and McGonagall had made for the girl.

"I talked to Arthur earlier this morning, Miss Sayre, and he passed on all the information I needed about you, so I know that your position is a very very unique one. Minerva and I here met to figure out what can we do to help you catch up with your peers and to gain education equal to those who started school at the age of eleven." Kara nodded, then looked at Charlie.

"How old am I?" Olaf wanted to sigh, but stopped himself. This would be a long day.

"You're sixteen. I'll explain it all to you later, don't worry." She looked back at Olaf.

"Okay, so what do I need to do?" This time Minerva spoke.

"We decided that no matter how far behind you are, Hogwarts is still the best place to teach you everything you need to know, but there will be some things we'll have to do differently about you. First of all, Olaf suggested that you might need to have a mentor, someone who will help you get used to our society and answer any questions you might have. The next thing we need to worry about is classes. You will hardly be able to attend them with other people of your age, so you'll take individual lessons with the professors and then study under the supervision of your mentor. I also have to be honest, but I don't expect that you will finish school by the time your peers do, but we will do our best for you. Is there any questions?" Charlie nodded first.

"You do realize she can't read, right? First thing she'll need is reading and writing lessons, so I hope you took that in consideration." Minerva nodded.

"Yes, we did. I already have a few people in mind who could help her with those lessons and help her mentor." Charlie nodded thoughtfully.

"Um, Headmistress," Kara said, speaking quietly, "who will be my ... mentor? And what is a mentor exactly?" Olaf responded.

"It hasn't been decided exactly as of yet, but I believe that it would be the best if I appoint someone for this task, to make sure they have acceptable education and will not be lenient towards you." Minerva turned towards him.

"I disagree, Olaf. Anyone who had finished Hogwarts in the past would be acceptable for this task and I'm quite sure that they will not be lenient towards her." She turned to the girl again. "Your mentor will be there to help you and give you any sort of advice, but will as well make sure that you're studying hard and keeping up with your school work. Do you have any recommendations what kind of person we should look for?" Kara's eyes darted towards Charlie for a second, which didn't escape Minerva and she started forming a plan in her head.

"Well, I don't know much so ... someone who wouldn't mind that I ask a lot of questions and who doesn't get tired of explaining things to me, I guess." Minerva slowly nodded her head.

"Yes, I think I have someone in mind already," she said slowly and looked at Charlie. "Mr Weasley, I've heard you wished to return to England for the time being." He lifted his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I told mum it would be nice to be around the family at this time. It's not exactly the time to be away from your loved ones." She smiled slightly.

"Would you consider a post that would allow you to see them more often?" He nodded vigorously at that.

"Absolutely! But what do you have in mind?" He didn't catch up to what she was hinting at.

"Definitely not, Minerva!" Olaf Spinks interrupted, glaring at the headmistress. "He hasn't been approved of and he isn't exactly the kind of person who could take care of a young girl! He manages dragons for a living, by Merlin's beard!" Kara perked up at this.

"I love dragons," she said, smiling widely. "Are you thinking about making Charlie my mentor? I would like that." She was beaming at them and Minerva glared back at Spinks.

"I believe she should have someone she can trust around her, not someone she has never met, just because the Ministry decided that they would be the best for her. I'm sure Albus will agree with me on this matter." She turned to Charlie. "I would like you to come work at Hogwarts as Kara Sayre's mentor and guardian. She'll need a lot of guidance and help to be able to fit in." Charlie finally caught on what was going on and was nodding again.

"I accept, Minerva." He smiled at Kara and then looked back at Spinks. "Sir, I understand your concern, but I believe she'll be better off with someone around that she already knows. I'll of course be reporting her progress to you personally, to make sure your trust isn't misplaced." Olaf Spinks couldn't say no to Minerva McGonagall. He knew he was defeated.

"Very well, but I'll expect weekly reports at the start, and make sure you do not miss even _one_ ," he sneered and dismissed them. Once outside, Minerva smiled at Charlie.

"Perfect. Now, I believe she'll need some books, some robes, a wand ..." she trailed off and handed Kara an envelope. "I took liberties to write down what I believe you'll need at the beginning. Anything else can be ordered by owl-post directly, and you will be able to send Charlie to fetch you anything you might need." Kara was smiling widely, just nodding at the professor now. "Since it's the middle of October, I figured I'd give you some time to get used to the company of people. You're expected on the first of November." Looking at Charlie, she added: "Make sure she doesn't get lost."

"Absolutely, professor. We'll be there."

"Did Arthur make sure that she'll have access to her vault? She'll need money to buy some school supplies."

"Yes, dad took care of everything, you know him. He just needs a purpose and he'll do whatever it takes." Minerva McGonagall nodded, fond of the eldest Weasley.

"Well, that's it. I need to return to Hogwarts now." She shook Kara's hand. "I'll see you in two weeks."

"Bye, headmistress." She turned on the spot and disappeared, surprising Kara.

"She apparated," Charlie explained quickly, "wizards can do that. They move from one spot to another very quickly this way. Come, we need to get home first. I just realized you don't have shoes."

"What are shoes?" Charlie's laughter echoed within the corridor.

* * *

 **A/N:** Delay due to beta's exams. Apologies.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Gosh, I promised myself I'll update this properly ... already went back on that promise! Apologies for a delay, I've been busy at work and in general just ... not writing. This is merely a filler chapter with a flashback ( _not sure if I'll include more of those_ ). The next chapter miiiight take a while again since my beta is going away for almost 3 weeks, but I'll try to figure something out. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Molly gasped when Kara tumbled from the fireplace, barely managing to catch herself on the mantle. As soon as Charlie appeared, his mother turned on him.

"Charles Weasley! Have you realized the shape this girl is in? And you took her to the Ministry looking like that?!" she yelled and to Kara's surprise Charlie seemed to cower a bit.

"I know, mum. Sorry about it, I didn't realize until it was too late," he mumbled, scratching his head nervously. He glanced at Kara. "Sorry, kiddo. Wasn't thinking, won't happen again." She pouted.

"Aw, but I like to walk like this. My feet feel free. Daraine tried to get me to wear some stuff during winter, but I threw those out as soon as it wasn't cold anymore." She sat down on a chair when Charlie beckoned and then told Molly about her day.

Molly and Charlie smiled at her as she told them all about her parents and them leaving her a lot of things.

"I have three houses, Mr Weasley said!" she exclaimed. "What can I do with three, Molly? I can't live in all of them at once. Maybe I'll keep moving!" She beamed. "I could sleep in a different bed every day! That would be amazing. But then, Mr Weasley also said that father left me a lot of land in Ireland. Do you think Daraine could come live there?" she turned around to face Charlie. "I bet there must be a nice cave somewhere! And if there isn't, then we can build her a place to sleep! Couldn't she come, Charlie?" This went on and on. She told them everything that happened and what she thought about the new people she met that day. She slowed down towards the end of her monologue.

"When can we go and buy things for school? The headmistress said I need to have them by November, but I would love to have them before so that I can see everything. And maybe you could start teaching me how to write?" A glance at Charlie who just nodded while helping his mother with the supper. "But when can we go?" she demanded. Molly replied.

"I have business in London tomorrow morning," she said thoughtfully. "You two could go to Gringotts and get her some money, buy the school supplies. We can meet up for lunch and I'll take her with me for some clothing and other things she might need." She washed her hands and walked over to Kara. "I think you need a brush, and perhaps we could cut your hair a bit. Right now it looks like a lion's mane." She tugged one of Kara's long red locks gently. Kara shook her head forcefully at that.

"I like my hair! It's pretty and long! No cutting!" Molly still looked thoughtful.

"Sure, but we still need to tame it a bit. You'll see how beautiful it is then." Kara nodded grumpily and Molly dropped the subject for the moment.

"Mum, where should we put Kara? She can't sleep in the living room for the next two weeks."

"She can have Ginny's room until then. I'll be staying in London again, I think, they need my help." Charlie nodded. "I'm not quite sure we could take her there yet, so you two will be staying here, but make sure to let me know if something happens." She smiled at Kara warmly again. "Come, let me show you the room. I already prepared it for you, darling."

Kara grabbed her bag and followed the woman up the set of stairs and straight into the first room, on the first floor landing. It was quite small but it had a big window with a nice view of the garden. The walls were painted pink, with a big picture of a dark-skinned woman in green robes hanging above the bed. Aside from a darkwood desk with a chair next to the window and a big wardrobe at the wall, there was no other the furniture in the little room. Kara turned around and noticed another picture hanging on the door - eight men with long hair, all wearing dark leathery-looking robes and painted black around the eyes.

"I put Ginny's things into those drawers," Molly explained, pointing at two drawers at the bottom of the wardrobe, "so feel free to use the remaining space as you wish, except the wardrobe, of course." Kara looked at the motherly woman.

"Thank you. Really. I think you taking me in so easily doesn't happen a lot, does it?" Molly shook her head and smiled a bit sheepishly.

"Ah, but you're just a young girl, Kara, not much older than my Ginny. I knew I'd have to make sure you're alright the moment you showed up in my fireplace with Charlie." Kara surprised her then - she wrapped her arms around the older woman, holding onto her tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered again, then grabbed her bag and put it onto the chair. Molly disappeared for a moment and reappeared with the nightgown she had given her the previous night, and a towel. She laid them on the bed.

"Well, if you decide to come down before dinner, I can take care of your hair," Molly said and smiled again before leaving. Kara sat on the bed and thought for a moment, then she opened her bag and took out a couple of items. The first one was a plush toy - a red panda with obvious marks of wear. The fur has fallen off completely in a few places, revealing the soft fabric underneath, but Kara didn't care. She gently put it down on the pillow, after holding the toy close to her chest for a few moments. Next was a framed photo of her parents on their wedding day, and an album with her baby photos. She put both on the desk, carefully arranging the framed photograph so that she could see it from the bed. Next came the strange mirror with water instead of reflective glass. She hid that under the pillow, not wanting people to see it. The last item was wrapped in a piece of dark cloth - it was a dagger created from a smooth black material with a simple bronze handle. She knew Daraine had brought it to her from her parents' house soon after they died. The dragon told her that she could feel the power within the weapon, but Kara never understood what she meant. To her it was just a simple knife and she kept it carefully wrapped into a piece of old cloth to keep from accidentally hurting herself. She left it wrapped, putting it on top of the photo album.

When she was done, she felt a little bit more at home and she got up and ran downstairs, more cheerful then before.

"Molly! Can we do my hair now?" She was smiling happily and Charlie's mother used her wand to summon a brush and a comb. She told her son to take over the food and sat Kara down on a stool, then started slowly and gently brushing the tangled mess.

Kara's hair was very long, falling past her waist, and it was quite tangled. The colour of it was mesmerizing - a dark, rich red, but with lighter highlights created by countless hours she had spent in the sun during the summer. It was thick and wavy, almost curling, and Molly had a bit of a hard time combing and brushing through it. It took her almost two hours to get through it all and she was very pleased with the result.

Kara's hair was now falling in large waves, no knots and tangles noticeable anymore. Kara took a thread between her fingers and felt the smooth and silky texture.

"Wow," she whispered, "it never felt this nice before." Molly patted her head.

"Now you only need to wash it," she told the girl. "It gets easier to comb it if you do it regularly. I assume you didn't really bother with combing and brushing?" Kara shrugged and shook her head.

"Not really, no, but I think it was worse before it got burned off ..." Her voice trailed off and Charlie joined in the conversation.

"Burned off? What were you doing?" Her smile was a bit sheepish.

"I was a lot younger then. I stood too close to Daraine while she was roasting some birds for me, and most of my hair was gone before she managed to throw a blanket on me." She shrugged off the concern in their faces. "I lived with a dragon. Getting my hair burned off a bit was nothing compared to some real burns I received because I was so clumsy. Oh, there was this one time when Daraine was sure I wouldn't make it ..." Again she trailed off, but Molly was staring at her, frozen with shock.

"What do you mean, not make it?" Charlie managed to get out. Kara remembered what happened ...

* * *

 _Daraine had brought a sheep back to their cave and Kara was carefully cutting the wool off with her dagger. When she had all the soft fleece carefully put away in her corner, Daraine gutted the sheep with a sharp claw and started skinning it. She was piling the meat on the spot they had assigned for food. When she was finished, Kara stuck the pieces onto a long sharp stick and leaned it against the wall, giving space to her dragon to roast all of the meat._

 _It smelled delicious and Kara was pulling out a small bag with the potatoes that were left from the last time they went scavenging for food, to get Daraine to roast those as well, when she tripped over the bones of the sheep - and went flying, straight into the path of the flame. Daraine stopped as soon as she noticed the girl, but the soft skin had already started to blister: Kara's left side had been burnt badly. She was lying down, still clutching the bag, trying to breathe slowly. She didn't make a noise when she felt the pain and heat licking her, but she could feel the tears stinging in her eyes. Daraine touched her with her snout._

' _What were you thinking, little one?!' she exclaimed, sending waves of worry, concern and guilt into Kara's mind. Kara didn't respond and the dragon flew away, grabbing a bucket for water in her claws on the way out. She had returned about fifteen minutes later, carrying the bucket, now filled with water, and a whole bunch of small-leaved plants in her teeth. She dropped it next to the girl, then grabbed a cloth and brought it next to the girl._

' _I can't do this all on my own, Kara, you'll need to help. Get rid of your clothes,' was the order she gave to the young girl. Kara was about twelve at the time. She did as instructed, flinching and sobbing all the time. When her shirt and pants were finally peeled off, Daraine could see the extent of the damage: her shoulder and upper left arm were red, in blisters, skin cracking up. The side of the torso and the left hip were as bad, and her face was singed, but luckily just superficially._

 _The dragon carefully, dipped the cloth into the water with her long claws and started gently patting the wounds. She had to get them cleaned first. She ignored the flinching, cringing and weeping of the girl, and kept going until she thought the wounds were as clean as possible, then she flew out with the bucket again. This time she had returned right away with fresh water. She threw the plants into it and then blew fire into it until it was boiling and steaming. She let the herbs soak and looked over the girl. Kara appeared to have passed out and Daraine was thankful for that, at least the girl wouldn't feel the pain for some time. She walked over the pile of clothes she stole for Kara and chose a few clean ones. She removed the plants from the bucket, replacing them with the clothing. When she believed it was chilled enough to not cause the girl extra pain, she draped the cloth over the wounds on her shoulder and sides, then laid down next to her, looking over her. When the cloth started drying, she pulled them off and soaked them in the water again, replacing them._

 _It took a whole week before Kara was able to move around much, after that things got easier. She could replace her own bandages and Daraine could leave for longer periods to get more food. About two weeks after the incident, Kara talked to the dragon._

' _My wounds ... how bad were they?' Daraine looked at the girl, studying her, then touched her forehead._

' _I thought you'd die. Don't do that again, Kara.' That was everything she had to say about it._

* * *

Molly's eyes were wide with shock while Kara was explaining the story. When she was finished, she got up and pulled up the side of the jumper she was wearing. A large patch of skin, stretching from the side of her breast and disappearing under her jeans, was white, scarred, standing out brightly on Kara's darker skin. The skin was rough, thickened and puckered, obviously badly healed. Molly gently touched the scar and then pulled the jumper down again, covering it.

"Well, that's quite a story," she whispered. Kara smiled brightly at her.

"Yes, but I survived and I'm here now. Do not worry like that, Molly." Charlie just shook his head and left. Kara looked after him. "Did I say something wrong to make him leave?" she asked, uncertain. His mother huffed.

"He's supposed to be used to seeing burns, seeing how he works with dragons!" After that, they were quiet, Kara sitting on the chair and studying Molly and what exactly she was preparing, while Molly was thinking about the girl. She knew she went through a lot, but she didn't imagine how hard it had been for her, growing up without a family, without other people, all alone in the mountains, with only a dragon for company.

* * *

That evening, the table was less crowded at supper. Molly didn't invite Remus and Tonks, Bill and Fleur were eating out and Arthur was late again, so only five of them were eating together.

Kara was eyeing the twins, paying more attention to them now. They were talking to each other in hushed tones when one of them looked up and saw her staring. He nudged the other.

"Look, the Dragon Lady is looking at us," he said loudly, "is there anything we can do for you, of Dragon Lady?" He mockingly half-bowed across the table and Kara tilted her head to the side.

"I'm not a dragon lady," she muttered at him. "I was curious how to tell the difference between the two of you." Molly set the last dish on the table.

"They're identical. Can't tell them apart. Even I have problems sometimes," she told Kara and piled up mashed potatoes on her plate. The twins were nodding.

"Very true indeed. No one knows except for us, and we don't tell people." Charlie rolled his eyes at him and turned to Kara.

"There is a difference, trust me. I'll tell you about it later." He gave her a wink and reached for meatballs on the table while the twins glared at him.

"Tell us," one of them demanded, "we must know so we can make sure it's fixed." But Charlie only shook his head, an evil grin spreading on his face.

"Oh, no, no way I'm telling you. I'll only tell her." Turning back to her, he said. "Eat, kiddo, these are really good." Kara tried the meatballs and mashed potatoes.

"Oh, Molly!" she exclaimed. "This is so good!"

* * *

After supper Charlie sent Kara to bed early.

"Listen, we're leaving early tomorrow. You don't want to be tired, do you?" She shook her head and smiled at him.

"Okay! Goodnight!" She climbed into the bed and wrapped her arms around the plushed toy. She wasn't comfortable in the soft bed, but all the excitement of the day caught up with her and she was soon sleeping soundly. When Molly peeked in later, she could only see red hair spilling from under the blanket. She smiled to herself and went to bed.

* * *

Kara was woken up by Charlie early the next morning. As soon as she opened her eyes she looked up straight at him.

"Are we going already?" He laughed.

"No, mum says she has to dress you properly and feed you first, before she allows us to leave." Kara nodded enthusiastically, bouncing up and down on the bed. She ran downstairs, still in her nightgown.

"Good morning, Molly!" she exclaimed and smiled brightly at the red-haired woman.

"Hello, Kara. Ready to go, aren't you!" The girl's bright eyes were shining, her hair falling down her back, a bit messy from sleep.

"Yes. Can't wait to go!" Arthur had already left for work and Bill and Fleur weren't going to be up until later, so only Molly and Charlie were in the kitchen with her. They smiled at her.

"Well, let's get you something proper to wear, then," the Weasley matriarch said and shot Charlie a nasty look, then marched Kara back into Ginny's room.

"Let's see," she muttered, going through the drawers and the wardrobe. Soon Kara was dressed up in jeans, long-sleeved brown tunic top and sneakers. Molly was brushing her hair.

"We should pull this into a braid or something," she told Kara.

"Why?"

"Well, you'll be shopping for your school uniform and for your clothes today and a braid would mean it's easier to keep it out of the way. Do you want me to do that for you?" Kara nodded and sat quietly while Molly pulled her hair into a tight braid. When she was done, Kara got up and pulled it over her shoulder, studying the weave.

"That looks pretty," she announced after a moment and nodded at Molly. "Thank you." She quickly stretched a few times and then left the room again, following Molly downstairs. Charlie was waiting by the fireplace.

"You're wearing your shoes now," he observed.

"Yes! Molly says I have to, but they feel strange. I didn't wear any when I was with Daraine."

"What did you wear then?" She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, when it wasn't cold outside, I wouldn't wear anything, and when it became cold, I'd just stay inside the cave near the fire. It's not like I had anything to do. There were some games I could play by myself, or with Daraine, but that didn't last all of the time. Mostly I was just thinking about my life." Charlie cocked an eyebrow.

"What did you figure out about your life?"

"Well, I know now that it was very boring. When can we leave?" Charlie gently gripped her shoulders and led her to a chair.

"First, you'll eat, then we can go." Molly set a bowl of cereal, strawberries and milk down.

"Eat these." Kara ate hurriedly and was done quickly. Charlie grinned.

"Can we go _now_?"

"Yes, Kara, we're leaving now." Molly disappeared and returned a moment later, wearing robes that were darker and less tattered at the edge. She looked Charlie over and scoffed.

"You can't go like that, Charlie. Put something more proper on." Her son looked at himself.

"Huh? I'm wearing comfortable clothes, mum." He winked at Kara. "And it looks good, doesn't it?" She studied him. He was wearing black trousers, white shirt and black wizarding robes which could be mistaken for a long cloak. She shrugged.

"He looks fine to me," she said and Molly sighed.

"If you say so." Kara beamed at her.

"Can we go now?" When they both nodded, Charlie explained to Kara that they're going to Diagon Alley.

"And be sure to pronounce it _correctly_ ," Molly said when he was finished, "we had an accident with a boy ending up somewhere else a few years ago." Kara nodded dutifully.

"Diagon Alley, right?" she asked. When they both nodded, she grabbed a handful of the powder and took a step towards the fireplace, threw it in and entered the emerald flames. "Diagon Alley!"


End file.
